Radial-draft gear.



H. T. KRAKAU.

RADIAMDRAFT am. APPLI-GATION FILED AUG.B. |912. 1 178,931 Patented Apr. 11,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H.T.KRA1AU.4 RADIAL DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED M ]GJLl I9I2.

y Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

2 SHEETS-s145512..

r TED STATES PATE onirica.

v:HARRY T. ."l{.`BAK1.\.TJ',l OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, yASSIl-NOR, TO l'lI-Illi NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY.

RADIAL-DRAFT GEAR.

i To all whom it may cohcem.'

Be it known that I; .HARRY T. KRAKU, a citizen of the United States,'residing at Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, have invented certain newf and useful Improvements in Radial-Draft Ggear, of which the following-is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinalsection offiny devicepartly in elevation as applied to the 3; Fig. 9 is a section on lines-IX-IX of,

Fig 3; Fig. 10 is a lsection on lines X-X of Fig. 3; Fig. 11 is a section on lines XI-XI of Fig. 3; and Fig. 12 shows details of 4the attachment of the coupler sh ank.

My invention relates to .radial draft gear,-

and is primarily designedl to` provide a member extending rearwardly from the couplerl adapted to carry a friction draft rigging.

My invention also providesfor other improvements which are adapted to strengthen and' better the draft gear and which aremore specifically described and claimedherein.

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates the coupler which is attached to the extension member 3, comprised of a number of parts later to be described, and the extension member 3 is pivotally attached by the i pivot pin i to the pivot casting 5. The pivot casting 5 is riveted between the center sills 6 of the car and forms the pivotal supportabout which the draft gear, 'comprised of the coupler 2, and the extension member 3, swings duringits radial movement in being guided to the center of the track. Beneath the draft gear and mounted on thev truck bolster is a guiding connection 7 which has a forwardly extending and centrally located arm 8 which coperates with the extension member 3 in a manner later to be described.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apfnii', 1916.

Applicationy filed August 3,1912. serial No. 713,970.

The extension member 3 is comprised of is adapted to receive within its forward end and inclose on itstop and sides the shank of the coupler 2.' The shank of the coupler and the forward end of the castin are rigidly attached by means of thevertically extending rivets 10 and by the laterally and horizontally extending key 11, which pass an outside casing or main casting 9 which through registering slots in the rear end of the shank of the coupler and in the forward end of the casting 9. The key 11 has a recess 12 on its rear side for the reception of the forward rivet 10 by lwhich it is held in place. s

As a further strengthening means for the connection between theshank of the couplerv 2 andthe extension member 3, I provide a reinforcing or clamping plate 13 for the underside of the connection, which has upwardly extending jaws 14 at both its .forward and rear ends which engage in recesses in the.. coupler shank and in the forward end of the casting 9 respectively, and prevents lateral buckling of the coupler 2 and the extension member 3'. The clamp 13 is held in place by the rivets 10.

The extension member 3 to the .rear of .its connection with the coupler shank has inwardly extending shoulders 15 adapted to take up the force of the bufing shock from the coupler shank. To the rear of these shoulders is a-cylindrical portion 16, and from this cylindrical portion 16 extend rearwardly the vertically disposed arms 17 which have concave inner surfaces 18. The cylindrical portion 16 of the casting 9 and the arms 17 are adapted for .the reception therein of the friction draft rigging barrel or inner casing 19, and supply the place of the usual yoke. Extending transversely throughl the arms 17 at their rearv ends areA elongated slots 20,. for the reception ofthe.

keys21, by which the arms 17 are'attached to the 4following member 22. Thekeys 21 are held. in lplace bythe pin. 23, and by means of .these keys 21 and the pin 23 the.;y y 4draft strains are transmitted from the coupler. through the extension member 3 to .9

the follower 22 and by it to the frictional parts within the caslng 19.'v

The friction barrel or casing 19 has f rearwardly extending arms 24 which are vspaced apart sufciently to -incloseand slide overy the forwardly projecting portion' 25 the casing 19 also form an interlocking engagement with the arms of the casting 9 and thus prevent the spreading of the latter after the parts have been assembled without the necessity ofseparate parts such as bolts, rivets, etc., to accomplish this.

The type of draft rigging which I prefer to use with my draft gear is shown in the application of Ernest H. Schmidt, Serial No. 683,035, filedMarch 11, 1912, and as adapted to the present invention is brieiy to be described as follows:

rl.`he casing 19 has a hardened bearing surface 27 and bearing against this surface are a plurality-.of sets of frictional segments 28, against the inclined inner-surfaces of which boar the correspondingly inclined surfaces of the cone rings 29. The foremost cone ring 29 bears against the compression spring 3() which at its forward end bears kagainst the forward end of the casing 19. Within the spring 30 is the releasing spring 31 which abuts against he sleeve The rear end of the sleeve 32 4ears against the forward end of the follower 22, and the sleeve and the releasing spring 31 act to restore the ,parts to normal position after bufing or draft. The follower 22 has its forward end 33 in the shape of ay cone ring which coacts with the rearmost set of segments 28. In either bufiing or draft the entrance of the follower 22 into the casing is resisted by the cone rings 29, the segments 28 and the compression spring 30. and the segments are lmoved longitudinall)7 of the casing and are pressed outwardly against the frictional surface of the casingwith a.'

progressively increasing frictional engagement as the follower enters farther land farther into the casing.

The follower 22, which carries the keys 21, has. a concavely curved rear bearing surface 34 which forms a socket for the correspondingly curved forwardly extending portion 25 of the pivot casting 5, to permit the draft gear to have a radial movement about the pivotpin 4;.

The arm 8 which connects the extension member 3 with the truck, and guides the coupler to the center of the track, has a 'sliding bearingin the elongated slot 3,5 of the small casting 36. This casting 36 has a T slot 37 which. fits over a T head 38 bolted to the underside of the inside casing 19. It will be seen that this construction permits a free sliding action between the arm 8 and the slot 35 which is essential on account ofthe movement of the inside casing 19 during buiing as well as on account of the radial action of the draft gear.

`The operation of my device is as follows: When the coupler receives a buiiing blow, it is driven rearwardly and carries with it the casting 9, and rearward movement of the casting 9 relative to thekey 21 and the follower 22, in which they are positioned, is permitted by the elongated slots 20 of the arms 17. The casting 9 in moving rearwardly carries with it the inside casing 19, the forward end of which abuts against the shoulders 15 of the casting, this rearward movement relative to the pivot pin 4 and the follower 22 being permitted by the elon gated slots 26 of the arms 24. The follower 22 is held immovable against .its socket bearing 25 on the pivot casting 5, and sets in operation the frictional elements within the inside casing 19. When the buiiing blow ceases the 4parts of the draft gear are restored to their normal position by the operation of the draft rigging. Where the coupler is under draft, it moves forward pulling-with it the outsidev casting 9,' the inside casing 19 being held from following the forward movement of the casting by the pivot pin 4 which normally bears against the rear sidesy ofthe slots 26 of the casing arms 24C. The follower 22 is pulled forwardly with the outside casting 9 by means of the keys 21 into the stationary inside casing 19 and compresses the friction elements therein in the same manner as under bufing.

Many changes may be' made in the cohstruction and operation of my improved draft gear without'departing from my invention.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In a radial draft gear, a coupler, an eX- tonsion member having a pivotal. connection ith flic car, the coupler and ext=nsion member being: rigidly fastened to eachother, recesses in the coupler shank and-the eXtension member, and a stiftening 'plate extending forwardly from the extension member along the under side of the shank to a point forward of the carry iron, the said plate -having lugs copcrating with recesses and adapted to be secured to said coupler and said extension member.

2. In a radial draft gear, a pairhof interfitting casings, each casing having two rearwardly-extending arms, the said arms comv`prising an operative connection between the easings, each set of arms having an interlocking engagement with the other set of arms to prevent spreading.

3. In radial draft gear, an outer casing, an inner easing, frictional parts, a follower therefor and a pivot pin, said outer casing being secured at its forward end to the coupler and having a socket portion interme- 'amasar diate its ends, arms extending rearwardly from the socket portion, elongated` slots in said arms, a key seated in the slots connecting the arms with the follower, the in ner easing containingvathe frictional parts and being itself contained Within the socket por tion of the outer casing, and having arms extending rearwardly from the inner casing, and elongated slots in the said arms of the inner casing, engaging the pivot pin, Whereby stresses of draft transmitted fromthe coupler will canse the said casings to telescope and actuate the friotional parts.

4. In radial draft gear, a coupler, an outer 'casing engaging the coupler, an inner casing, and a pivot pin securing the mechanism to the framin having rearwardly-extending armsl with elongated slots adapted to engage a' key member and to transmit pulling stresses therethrough to the follower of the draft rigging, the inner casing also having rearwardly-extended arms With elongated slots engaging the pivot pin, the arms of said outer casing being arranged 1n a horizontal plane and the arms of the inner casing be-- ing arranged in a vertical plane.

5. ln radial draftgear, a coupler, a forward easing engaging the coupler, a rear' casina', and a pivot pin securing the mechanism to the framing of the car, the forward casing having rearwardly-extending arms of the car, the outer casing with elongatedv slots adapted to engage a key member and to transmit pulling stresses therethrough to the follower of the .draft rigging, the rear. casing also having rear- Wardly-eXtended arms, the arms of said for- Ward casing being laterally disposed and the arms of the rear casingbeing disposed one above the other.

6. In a radial draft gear, a coupleran`d a draft member pivotallv mounted upon a car, said draft member comprising a pair of interitting casings, each casing having 4a plurality of arms, the said arms forming an operative connection between the casings andthe coupler and the pivotal point on the car, one set of said arms having a longitudinally-slidable interlocking engagement with the other set to prevent spreading.

7. In a radial draft gear, 4a pair of interfitting casings, each casing-having a pair of arms, one pair of arms being vertically disposed one above another and the other pair L Witnesses:

HARRY E. OBR, p R. L. LEHMAN. 

